COVID-19 updates: American Airlines to require employee vaccinations

The airline's CEO and president informed employees in a letter Friday.

ByJulia Jacobo, Ivan Pereira, Emily Shapiro, Kiara Alfonseca, Meredith Deliso, and Morgan Winsor
Last Updated: October 4, 2021, 6:54 AM EDT

The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 700,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 65% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Sep 30, 2021, 3:22 PM EDT

Africa making modest vaccination gains: WHO

Out of the African continent's 1.3 billion population, 60 million people have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

A young woman prepares to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at a health facility in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sept, 24, 2021.
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

Fifteen African countries met the WHO's goal to fully vaccinate at least 10% of residents by Sept. 30. (Nearly 90% of high-income countries have met this target.)

Twenty-three million vaccines arrived in Africa in September, 10 times the number delivered in June. COVAX is working to identify countries that can absorb large volumes of vaccines.

COVID-19 cases in Africa are on the decline. There were 74,000 new cases reported the week of Sept. 16, a 35% drop from the previous week.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

Sep 30, 2021, 1:19 PM EDT

United says it's firing 320 employees instead of 593

After announcing 593 employees would be fired for not complying with United's vaccine mandate, the airline says just 320 employees will be terminated.

“Our vaccine policy continues to prove requirements work - in less than 48 hours, the number of unvaccinated employees who began the process of being separated from the company has been cut almost in half, dropping from 593 to 320," United said.
 
-ABC News' Sam Sweeney

Sep 30, 2021, 10:07 AM EDT

NY hospital system nearly 100% vaccinated after letting go 'few hundred employees'

Northwell Health, New York state's largest health care system, says its workforce of more than 77,000 is now “near 100%” vaccinated after letting go “a few hundred employees” who refused to get the mandated shot.

Northwell Health said, "we are pleased to report that most team members are opting to be vaccinated so as to avoid being terminated."

Sep 30, 2021, 9:40 AM EDT

37% of people may have at least 1 symptom months after having COVID: Study

A new study finds 37% of COVID-19 patients had at least one symptom three to six months later. The most typical symptoms included breathlessness, fatigue, abdominal pain, depression and anxiety. 

Researchers from the University of Oxford analyzed millions of medical records, comparing long-haul symptoms after COVID-19 to long-haul symptoms after the flu. A significant portion of people who had the flu also experienced symptoms three to six months later, but far more people who recovered from COVID-19 experienced at least one long-haul symptom. 

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has launched several large research studies to look into why long-haul symptoms happen to some people and how to treat them. 

A medic from the Houston Fire Department EMS prepares to give oxygen to a man suffering from severe COVID-19 symptoms before transporting him to a hospital on Aug. 16, 2021 in Houston. The patient's mother looks on.
John Moore/Getty Images, FILE

-ABC News' Sony Salzman

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